SCWC Releases Report Highlighting Stormwater Capture Opportunities
First-Ever County Analysis on Stormwater Management Strategies
Southern California Water Committee
Press Release
02/06/2012
The Southern California Water Committee’s (SCWC) Stormwater Task Force today released a first-ever report examining strategies to maximize stormwater capture throughout the coastal plain (Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside and San Diego counties).
The report, “Opportunities to Increase Water Supplies in Southern California,” is the result of a year-long collaborative effort among local governments, flood control districts, public water agencies, environmental organizations, development interests and private sector companies throughout Southern California that have made water-use efficiency a priority.
“In California, we cannot take water for granted, and it’s more important than ever to seek out new and improved ways to capture and utilize local sources while protecting the environment. Until this effort began, there was no regional coordination in place on stormwater issues, everyone was working independently,” said Mark Pestrella, chairman of SCWC’s Stormwater Task Force and assistant director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works. “We are much more effective when we share ideas and work together toward common goals.”
The report released today examines how the region as a whole can work collaboratively within the current regulatory framework to achieve shared goals of attaining clean, safe water bodies and a sustainable water supply. Elements of the report include:
● Analysis of existing statewide policies, goals and regional plans related to integrated stormwater management to encourage recharge of groundwater aquifers;
● Regional trends, consistent conditions and other regulatory requirements of “Clean Water Act” MS4 permits in relation to both opportunities and constraints to maximizing stormwater capture for water supply purposes;
● Analysis of stormwater management strategies, from onsite low-impact development on individual properties to watershed and larger regional stormwater capture and infiltration facilities.
Southern California local governments have already implemented many successful stormwater pilot demonstration projects throughout the coastal plain that can be used as examples for future projects and programs. To help further promote regional collaboration, the report provides a number of case that highlight specific successes.
“Throughout the region, we’ve worked collaboratively to identify innovative ways to make the most of our local water supplies,” said Rich Atwater, executive director of SCWC. “Although we still need to make our imported supplies more reliable, expanding efforts to increase stormwater capture will play an essential role in the future of Southern California’s water supply. The more local sources of water we have, the less we need to import from the Colorado River and northern California.”
SCWC’s Stormwater Task Force was established one year ago to develop regional consensus-based strategies and recommendations for utilizing stormwater effectively as a new local water supply, and reduce the urban runoff water pollution problems within the coastal plain of Southern California.
